hi everyone I am a new proud owner of an o4 g35x I love this car. I got it at a dealer for $6900 with 88k..it had a rack and pinion leak the dealer had the leak fixed it required replacing the whole assembly..so they said...well its been two weeks no leaks so im happy..but how the hell did I miss that the front passenger axle is missing I was looking around because every time I take a sharp left turn I hear what sounds like the tire rubbing on the wheel well or fender so im looking for scuffs and see this empty hole and I quickly realize the truth....how bad is this for me to drive like this?? I don't see any tranny fluid is that a good thing or bad thing?? because I know some transmission will leak fluid when axle is pulled out....I found some online for a decent price and I will be ordering it asap but im worried about driving until then... I appreciate all the help I can get guys..

 

I wouldnt order anything till you talk to the guys at the dealership where you got the car.

 

sadly I signed an as is agreement but I had no way around it...they fixed the rack and pinion because I spotted the leak before I signed papers and took it home...its now almost 3 weeks..it was a used dealer they wont do jack for me..sadly

 

I could be wrong, but as is or not, isn't that what the lemon law is for?

 

I guess I was wrong. From Wikipedia..
"Although each state imposes different requirements for their own consumer lemon laws, a basic condition common to virtually all jurisdictions is that in order for the lemon law to apply, the automobile or product must have been purchased with a warranty. Products purchased on an "as is" or "with all faults" basis are typically not covered by state or federal lemon laws."

 

So let me get this straight. There's no axle at all? You don't have a shaft poking through the hub with a nut on it?

And the dealer replaced the rack and didn't care to tell you this?

Any change they pulled the axle while installing the rack? And forgot to reinstall it? They shouldn't need to...but then again WTH


Fluid shouldn't leak out of the front differential, but I would plan on draining and refilling the front differential fluid after installing one. 1 qt of 75w-90. Mobil 1 should be plenty. I personally would not drive the car like this to avoid getting dirt and debris inside there. Repalacing a front differential is not fun.

Where did you find axles? I need a front passenger axle myself

 

Nope no axle at all on the passenger front.. man I have no Idea how I didn't see it before.. well im not 100% on who has them I just googled it and saw a few ads most of them asked for a core charge.. for sure im going to give the dealer a call on Monday and give him a piece of my mind....

 

after doing some research I realize this half axle is like looking for big foot...seems like no one has them..i have allot fo junk yards in Miami so I might go searching for one and have it rebuilt buy someone...what a mission....and now that I know im missing that axle I tested it last night on the high way as long as im coasting the car stays straight but if I apply throttle slowly the car begins to drift over to the left this is probably because im missing that right axle...im just confused as how the awd system doesn't see that something is missing? like it doesn't see that its not getting a reading from the front right? weird

 

It's getting a reading from the speed sensor. That's all it has to go by.
Strange and unfortunate problem you have there, I'd definitely ask the seller WTF is this?

 

On the highway the transfer case disables power to the front wheels, so the pull to the side is probably due to the uneven drag on the front driveline due to the missing axle.

That drag is why the AWD cars get less fuel economy than RWD.

The system things everything is ok because you are driving on dry pavement (or wet but not spinning tires) and all the speed sensors are transmitting things that makes sense to the computer. I bet if you tried to drive that car in the snow, with the SNOW button on, your dash would light up like a Xmas tree.

I wouldn't try it however. Like i said, replacing the front differential is a PITA so you don't want to risk anything here.


And yes, front AWD axles are tough to find. I need that same axle and have been looking for months. Check ebay for used axles. One pops up here and there in the $150-200 range. If you go to dealer, expect to pay $500-600 for a new axle.

 

wait... how the hell does a dealership or anyone for that matter sell a AWD car missing an AXLE

I'm completely stun by this because this is be the by far the worst move anyone can do in the business world. It isn't a opinion or thought like a noise/feel/etc. This is a FACT, put the car up in the air and axle missing!

Anyways... awd front axles are hard to come by. The fact that your in miami and trying to find a local one makes it even harder because the bulk of g35's out there should be RWD. I've been keeping on eye for wrecks offering $75-100 for the front axles just in case.


Isn't the AWD light and many other lights blinking at you? I would stay away from this place and let all your friends/family know to stay away from this place as well.

 

Holy crap. I've heard a lot of things but completely missing an axle? That's just nuts. I would get a lawyer or something of that sort because all things considered given the right variables you could have wound up getting hurt.

Also, you won't be able to find this axle for cheap. A local city shop specializing in axles/driveshafts can probably get you a new one for $250, new from a website or dealer $600. Best bet in my experience, and trust me on this, is to try to find one on ebay, junkyard, Craigslist (totalled, salvaged, parts cars). Just find a broken axle, really. Most auto parts stores do offer a rebuild service on the front axles. RockAuto used to also offer the service, and sometimes do, but most often do not any more. So, get the broken axle, have it rebuilt, and hang on to that axle for when you need to rebuild it again. The entire design is terrible and lowering your car will make it even worse. You can't buy the axles or boots at most auto parts stores anymore. Also find a good shop that services Nissan/Infiniti and see if they can handle your axle issues because you will have them.

 

I've kept my eye on Rockauto.com for the last 3 months. I saw 1 driver's axle pop up (rebuilt, not a service) and it was gone within a day. No more front axles since.

I've searched around for other rebuilt front axles. There are none, or they are permanently out of stock.

 

show a pic of this missing axle...i'm very curious here